shotgun vernacular

The Last Bee On Earth – Prologue EP

Mike Bee is a guitarist known for his firework displays with the Stratocaster, powering up such bands as The 66, The Phoenix Experiment and Purple Heart Parade. The time has come through for Mike to fly solo. Wearing the persona of The Last Bee On Earth, he finds a voice and matches it with a broad musical palette. He may be known for his guitar work but his debut solo EP runs an elegant gamut compassing psych, folk and electro. The songs are mellow and thoughtful, a little trippy, and distinctly shamanic.

This is a mystical piece highlighting The Last Bee’s ecological and spiritual concerns; a Prologue detailing the beginnings of The Last Bee’s journeys. A full album is expected later in the year, leading to the question of a whether it will resemble a full-blown Ziggy Stardust style concept album.

The cover sums up the conceit: a man halfway between the stars and the earth. A mind looking up, a body pulling down. Seeking escape and enlightenment with no safety net except a decaying world concealed by pastel clouds.

‘Mossed In Space’ is a psychedelic chill out piece, perfect for hazy festival afternoons. This a pellet down the gullet; stripping away our realities like melting plasticine so we can see the world as The Bee sees. ‘Mossed In Space’ is a palette cleanser, freeing us and leaving us susceptible, ready and primed. From a distortion storm a shining guitar emerges, grasping dramatic traction . A sky peaking melody dazzles. Then the whole thing settles into a Bunnymen-ish groove with a wordless chorus straight from Bowie’s Low. As a mood setter it’s far too short.

‘5AM’ is a rinky-dink segue of ambient sparkles and in itself a fine example of sun-rise synth.

The real star of Prologue is ‘World On Fire’, a sweeping ballad for a world consuming itself. The Last Bee knows that squabbling on an island is pointless when the planet is going under, and maps out an epic, lush song to catalogue the destruction. A song stamped with pure quality that marks the emergence of a high-grade solo artist. Mixing up a piano march, crisp drums, a crooning, cracked vocal performance and the strings…. the strings…